I want to do some creature designing!! So would anybody like to comment here, with 2 or 3 different animals, or maybe various emotes, for suggestions? 

You can send as many as you like, I'm curious what you all might come up with!

Mash-ups I've done before are:

• Heron x giraffe = CURSED
• Lion x rocky outcropping
• Big cat x ram x musk ox
• Panther x megalania
• Llama x dodo
• Cat x nightjar
• Kaprosuchus x dire wolf
• Nudibranch x corgi
  

I totally forget that TH has bulletins, but since I'm more active on here than DA I may as well post this musing and poll here.

One of the things I frequently get stumped on when developing my species, is what to do with the traits. I seem to waffle from one extreme to the other, and even after finishing everything up, I'll go back and change it all again years later. I'll blame it on my inability to follow rules, but my desire for structure, or something like that lmao. Either way, I know I like designing and coming up with traits, but then following them is where it gets a little dicey. I need to find a middle ground really, where I can follow my own traits but they're broad enough to allow me flexibility when it comes to actually designing, despite how much I like looking at Super Specific Traits in other peoples species :'D

I’m currently working on the DroKara, a species which I’ve only posted WIPs of here, and I’m trying to narrow down the species appearance more consistently. It’s unlikely that the DroKara will be a public species (but not impossible, I love the idea of sharing them with others!), so the traits are more for my own point of reference than for others to follow, but still fun to come up with them.

Some of the DroKara I have a nice clear mental image of, and sketching them out is super ease to do! While other (usually the main characters) are considerably harder, mainly because I want to get them RIGHT, but that puts too much pressure on myself to do it first go. I’m half thinking that more specific traits would help me visualise and complete them, but part of me wants to design the characters and then figure out loose traits afterwards. Buuuut maybe that’s not enough structure for me?? IDK either way designing my DroKara characters is an odd mix of slow and quick.

BUT I'm just curious to see how you guys feel about traits, either when creating your own species, or joining other people species!

Each folder is based on a specific headworld of mine, they follow their own storylines and the characters backstories interlink and weave together. I'll try and remember to update this if/when I add new folders!

• Alcazar Saga:  I started this story when I was 13, this world is extensive and has numerous sub stories and plots running through it. The main storyline follows a Royal Guard by the name of Willow Mason, who alongside Prince Ivan, take it upon themselves to track down the culprit suspected of murdering the princes younger brother. However their journey is far from simple as the pair quickly discover they’re in over their heads, the suspect pleading innocence, long lost Fae and Dragons returning to the world, and magic beginning to resurface. Before long their simple journey becomes a Saga off of its own.
  • Iskterra: A massive continent much like our Africa. This land has a dozen stories alone, ranging from political coups, attacks from savage beasts, political intrigue and backstabbing, and even a farmer just trying to live her life and hit on the local lords daughter.
  • Siren Song: Maristella, the rebellious daughter of a merchant lord fights back against her father’s oppressive parenting. By… going rogue, hiring mercenaries, overthrowing pirates and becoming Pirate Lord herself. You know, typical teenager stuff!
  • Magpie Knights: A historical story following Mavis Ryder as she finds her family becoming the cause of a civil war which tears the lands in two, and is the catalyst forming the Kingdom of Kardoon. It’s through her actions that she becomes the founder of the royal guards, known as Magpie Knights.
  • Troubled Times: This historical story followed Áine, a Fae princess as she stages a coup to overthrow her mother and claim the throne. Her plan is admittedly successful, but in the process she brings the Age of Harmony to an end, resulting in the Years of Turmoil, a two thousand year period where the continent is torn apart by interspecies battles. It doesn’t end well, but does set the stage for all the other tales.

• Amonstrife: My second eldest headworld, Amonstrife is a wonderful blend of scifi and fantasy, containing both space ships, interplanetary travel, and dragons. Because it’s fun. The primary story follows Detective Alexis Vela, as she slowly begins to uncover corruption within the police force. But her digging sets things in motion, forced to go on the run with a crime lord (who is her estranged adoptive sister, long story), the pair fight to uncover the depth of the corruption in the world, and save their own skins. Admittedly it doesn’t work out for them since they spark an intergalactic war, but it’s still fun to write!

• Ilum’Dural: My third headworld, Ilum’Dural was created on a spur of the moment. On holiday, nothing to do, so I opened a word doc and just started writing. Before the end of the holiday I had about 75k words… So I figured I should make a headworld from it! This world is divided into four completely separate stories, all based within each Domain.
  • In the Summer Domain, the original story, it follows a young Queen Sena’Cora as she learns that the Emperor has been murdered, and her partner seemingly killed, during the coup. Accused of treason, she’s forced to go on the run, and enlist the aid of a criminal in her bid to confront the new Empress.
  • In the Spring Domain, the least developed, but three young adults go on their last test to become fully fledged members of society, and get into trouble by uncovering stuff they shouldn’t. Something about kidnapping gods??
  • In the Autumn Domain, an outspoken young woman is pushed into an arranged marriage she can’t get out of. But at the same time as juggling a revolution and her vigilante escapades, she slowly ends up falling for the guy.
  • In the Winter Domain, a family is slowly pulled further and further apart as the choices they make lead down very different paths. Despite this their bond remains strong, even as all-out war spreads its way across their homeland.

Along with this, I have characters in one active group, and others from another long-since-retired group who I just can’t bear to shut the door on.

• ClubMTT: An earth AU, a race of aliens called MTTs arrive on earth, but pose no threat, however over the course of many years their adaptive nature result in them soon becoming the dominant species, while humans become endangered. Their lives are much the same as ours, be it work, relationships, or drama.
• Shinlai: A world created by AlanaRoseheart, its a retired species, a quadrupedal race of mammals with intelligence and ability to manipulate the elements, live alongside humans on the planet of Elaisha. It was a utopia, until a fraction known as the Darkblood Revolution sought to change their way of life, claiming it was for the best.
• Miscellaneous: Also known as Waifs and Strays, its where all the characters without proper storylines, and characters I’ve adopted or made in other people’s worlds, or those who are awaiting a redsign to be placed into their new home!